ABSTRACT
Ever since independence in 1947, India’s security strategies and debates have been Pakistan-centric as it has been an emanating point for all kinds of anti-India activities ranging from fake currencies to terror strikes. Of late, Bangladesh has emerged as an equally threatening epicentre of anti-India activities spearheaded particularly by Islamic fundamentalist organisations. Their geographic location and cultural proximity have made close contacts between India and Bangladesh inevitable. But they are working towards entirely different concepts of state and society. There has been a continuous flow of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to India. This has been a safe conduit for the radical Islamists to reach India. Bangladesh is dangerously infected with the virus of religious radicalism. Most of the radical Islamic parties in Bangladesh are anti-India and anti-Hindu. In addition to serving political Islam in general, some terrorist organisations dream of a greater Bangladesh, which includes some parts in the North Eastern region of India. Some others have reunion with west Pakistan as their political agenda. Most of the recent terrorist attacks in India are in one way or another related to fundamentalist outfits in Bangladesh. The frequent failure of the government to prevent recurring incidence of unacceptable damage to the life and property of people have multiple impacts on India’s security. It ranges from doubts about the legitimacy and efficacy of the democratic system to the fanning of Hindu and Muslim extremism in India. The spillover effects of the emerging volatile situation will have unpredictable consequences to security, plurality and democratic practices in India and beyond in the entire South Asia region. This chapter attempts to examine the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh and the security implications it poses for India.
